Shadows of Shinomori
by Kelly-dono
Summary: AM Dark secrets embroil as a college student discovers herself and another. Rated for sexual content and adult situations. Recently revamped and reposted, sadly I lost all my reviews. :( Pleaes R
1. College Woes

"Look, I'm telling you, my tuition check was sent three days ago. Please just let me  
  
register for my classes!" Misao grumbled to the upperclassman running the registration  
  
booth. What makes this college think its students are competent enough to do these sort  
  
of things? Look at this idiot, I bet he was home schooled. He lacks, obviously, even basic  
  
people skills.  
  
"Miss?" Misao's face had now contorted into something out of an impressionist  
  
painting. Her small body, which people often mistake for that of a 16 year old, was now  
  
stiff from her tense muscles. She'd had enough! It took every ounce of her control not to  
  
pummel this obvious obstacle; he would have to be taken out.   
  
  
  
"Huh?" she was rudely snapped out of her insidious thoughts.  
  
  
  
"Miss, I'm sorry but I can't allow to register for classes. You have a $2,000 debt  
  
that must be paid off. However, if you are that desperate, you can wait to see the head of  
  
financial aid."   
  
  
  
"Where is this head of financial aid? Is it a student, for the love of gods please say  
  
no!"   
  
"No, the head of financial aid is indeed an adult, whom, aside from working here  
  
has no affiliation with this school. Rest assured."  
  
  
  
"Well where is he?!" Finally someone who will know what they are talking  
  
about!  
  
  
  
"All you need to do is put into writing your issue, then queue over there." The  
  
man, on the edge of being a victim of homicide, pointed to a line consisting of no less than  
  
100 people. Misao felt herself slip into the seventh circle of hell.   
  
  
  
"What the hell is that?! That's not a line, that's cruel and unusual punishment." I  
  
don't have the patience for this! Glancing at her watch she quickly realized she didn't  
  
have the time either. She quickly wrote down her grievances, handed the paper to the man  
  
behind the makeshift desk. "Give this to the head of financial aid, I'll know if you don't. I  
  
CAN find you."  
  
  
  
"M..M..Miss?" Although lacking sense of perception, the man knew a threat when  
  
he heard it.  
  
"WHAT?" Misao's head jerked her head around, making no attempt to hide the  
  
fire blazing in her eyes."I need your social security number."  
  
"Why?! I put my full name at the top and bottom."  
  
"You are merely a number here. Its imperative that I have your social security  
  
number. Its our way of not having to remember your name, and it doubles to ensure that  
  
you're not an illegal alien!" He smiled at that last attempt for a joke.  
  
"Fine, I'll give my number just stop that!" She proceeded to write down all seven  
  
digits. Her identity at college wasn't Misao it was 587-35-6645. She gathered her things  
  
and with one last quick glance at the clock dashed out the glass doors.  
  
"There were only two places where you were known by a number" Misao groused  
  
to herself "the army and college!"  
  
"Don't forget prison." Answered an amused voice. She hadn't even realized she grumbled  
  
her thoughts until the witty little answer had floated past her. Jerking around Misao came  
  
face to chest with a nice but very tall man. Craning her neck back she met a pair of icy  
  
blue eyes.   
  
"And you expect me to believe there is a difference between the two?" She asked acidly,  
  
one eyebrow raised in sarcasm.  
  
"Sure. They feed you in prison and it costs a hell of a lot less." A smile stole over Misao's  
  
face. It was the first one all day. She had beginning to think she would carry a permanent  
  
scowl as she walked or more correctly wandered around the huge campus, trying to  
  
supress the urge to growl at other freshman looking equally lost.   
  
"Let's not forget the fashionable uniforms they provide!" Misao collaborated, glad to find  
  
another human hidden amongst a throng of collegiate neanderthals. She had wanted so  
  
much to enjoy college, however the buracrates had thwarted that wistful idea.   
  
"Seeing a frustrated freshman always takes me back." the man roused regarding Misao;  
  
her aura so strong and full of life intrigued him greatly. I'll have to keep an eye on this  
  
one, she could prove to be....  
  
"Ahhh!! I'm late!" The man winced as his thoughts were abruptly interrupted. "I'm gonna  
  
be late on my second day! I'm sorry but I must leave, as a fast food employee I am  
  
completely expendable."   
  
As the man watched the girl wildly run to her destination, his stoic expressed permeated  
  
his face; however he felt as if his heart had been lifted. For once another person, a girl  
  
nonetheless, had looked at him without disgust or fear in her eyes. He allowed for a smile  
  
to slip through his neutral façade for the first time in months.  
  
===============  
  
"Thank you for choosing World Burger may I take your order." Misao chanted her  
  
memorized greeting into a headset commonly known as The Beast. Whose cruel idea  
  
was it to invent drive thru! Misao's thoughts quickly drifted to the man she had lustfully  
  
laid eyes on earlier. If I didn't have to come to this hell hole I would've been able to at  
  
least catch his name. Her mind was raging with anger, however with the cheeriest voice  
  
she could muster she continued with her job. "Alright I have two #1s, one all the way and  
  
one with cheese, no lettuce, tomato, or onion, but heavy pickle. Both meals with coke to  
  
drink. Is that everything?" Misao let an audible moan escape as the customer continued to  
  
order three more meals and two kids meals. I can't take this!   
  
"Ms. Leiko, can I take my break?!"   
  
"Sure, just take that gentleman's order then you can go for fifteen minutes." Leiko  
  
absently gestured to the customer standing in front of the counter.  
  
Yes! Only one customer stands between me and my small glimpse of freedom! Handing  
  
The Beast to Leiko she bounded over to the register.  
  
"Hi! What can I get for you today?" this time her spirited voice was genuine.  
  
"My, you sure are jubilant for being at work." She knew that voice! But from where? She  
  
craned her neck around the advertisement signs that littered the counter to see him.  
  
Oh my gods he's here! Her slight blush although never mentioned didn't go unnoticed.  
  
"............" For the first time Misao's words failed out. She couldn't think; she couldn't  
  
hear, all she could do was gaze at this vision of sex before her. Yes, I want that! Wait!  
  
What am I thinking? I don't even know his name.   
  
"Will this be cash, check, or credit?" Finally words found her mouth, she must have been  
  
gaping at him for five solid minutes. Worth it! she mused to herself.  
  
"Hmmm...credit." The man said opening his wallet to find a solitary dime floating about. A  
  
little embarrassed at the lack of greenery, he allowed for a second smile. How is it that  
  
this girl somehow always indulgences me to smile?  
  
"That's fine I just need to see some ID."   
  
"Alright, will my driver's license work?"  
  
"Anything with a picture will do."   
  
The man handed Misao his driver's license; she scrutinized his picture and quickly stole a  
  
glance at his name. Aoshi, I'll have to remember that one. Heh, heh, heh.  
  
"Thanks, what can I get you today?" Misao smiled mischievously as she handed Aoshi his  
  
license back.  
  
"Well, nothing too big." As Misao's new acquaintance deciphered the pictures on the  
  
menu, she maintained her lusty smile.   
  
As this god among men proceeded to rail off his order, Misao absent mindedly pushed the  
  
corresponding buttons. Her thoughts were obviously elsewhere.  
  
"Is that everything?" Misao asked. She examined his form, striving to find any  
  
imperfection. None! What is with this guy?! Why is it that when ever he is here I can't  
  
concentrate on anything but his body?!  
  
After Aoshi left with his order, Misao was about to take her break when she was coyly  
  
approached by her boss. The serious look on her face worried Misao; Burger World was  
  
making entirely too much money for her to have any reason for such an expression.  
  
"What's wrong Ms. Leiko?" Misao's shakey voice was barely audiable over the hustle and  
  
bustle of the restaurant.   
  
"Do you know that man Misao?" Leiko's eyes pierced right through Misao's frightened  
  
gaze.  
  
"Not really; I just met him today at school. I didn't even know his name until....." hiding  
  
her eyes she continued lowering her voice even more ".....I stole a peak at his ID card."  
  
Then as if suddenly coming to her senses questioning "Why?!"  
  
"You know his name and you aren't scared?"  
  
"Why? Should I be?"  
  
"You don't know about Aoshi Shinomari do you?"  
  
"Know what?" Misao asked sick of her manager's prying.  
  
"Well lets just say he has difficulty controlling his anger."   
  
But with his pensive eyes he always seems so in control. Misao reflected thinking back  
  
to those icey blue orbs. Although; he did seem to have a sadness hidden behind his  
  
gaze.  
  
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Misao questioned, obvisously not enjoying the  
  
vagueness of Leiko.  
  
"His freshman year he was the captian of the kendo team. When the team went to  
  
nationals it came down between him and a man from the rival school. He inevitably lost.  
  
The defeat shattered him. He let go of anything that he felt held him back; his schooling,  
  
his religion, and even his sanity."  
  
Leiko paused, allowing Misao time to asborb all she is saying.   
  
"He had nothing to left to lose. His friends, worried about his condition went to confront  
  
him. They found him at his usual training ground, a nearby cliff. Aoshi became enraged,  
  
unable to believe his friends would turn on him. He pushed one against a tree so hard he  
  
rendered him brain dead. The other he smashed against a rock; and his best friend he  
  
pushed over the cliff ,waited till he heard the body hit the rocks below then continued his  
  
training. He didn't even bother to remove the mangled bodies of his friends till he had  
  
finished his training. He piled their corpses along the side of an abandoned roadway and  
  
calmly walked home."  
  
Misao was floored What?! That can't be. That can't be the same man I met today who  
  
seemed so amiable. That can't be the same Aoshi.  
  
"The families of his friends demanded justice be brought to Aoshi. However, coming from  
  
an affluent family Aoshi could afford the best lawyers. His main defense being that Aoshi  
  
was so deep in training that he truely believed his friends to be thugs after his life. Oh  
  
course we know better."  
  
"How do you know for sure?! It could all be gossip! You know how people like to talk  
  
around here." Practically demanding Leiko to tell Misao it was all a joke and that Aoshi is  
  
really a great guy.  
  
"How would I know?!" Tears brimming in Leiko's eyes. "The man he so carelessly tossed  
  
over the cliff like a rag doll? He killed my brother, his best friend! He received no  
  
punishment, gave no apology, never even felt so much as remorse."  
  
================  
  
Days went by and Misao saw no sign of Aoshi; she didn't know what she would say even  
  
if she did. After a while she slowly let the story roam to the back of her head.   
  
It wasn't until nearly two weeks later when Misao was running across campus, once again  
  
due to her tardiness, that she ran into what felt like a brick wall.   
  
Where'd that wall come from?  
  
She looked up to find something else entirely.  
  
"Escaping from prision Ms. ..... "  
  
As the man with the brick abs searched for her name Misao quickly realized it was Aoshi.  
  
She couldn't help but recall Leiko's story. 'He killed my brother, his best friend!'  
  
Unable to think rationally she quickly dusted herself off, gathered her books making sure  
  
not to make any form of eye contact, then suddenly ran away.   
  
"Misao!" Hearing him call her by name sent a thousand pricks straight to her heart. She  
  
tingled with excitment and anxiety. However, she couldn't stop. She couldn't face him.  
  
Not yet. She ended up being late to class, the scolding from her teacher was infinitely  
  
better than even one glance of Aoshi's. Even the mention of his name brought an delouge  
  
of thoughts and emotions flooding her mind. 


	2. Rain

AN: Sorry it took so long to update; I recently found out that college is indeed harder than high school. Nonetheless, in this chapter more characters are introduced and of course the situation between Aoshi and Misao develops. Please review, but above all else ENJOY!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"I've faced college registration and Miss Leiko's wrath yet now I can't deal with a stupid rumor?! What the hell has gotten into me?!" Misao spewed to no one impaticular as she fumbled in her over stuffed purse for her keys in the deafening silence of midnight, her apartment was becoming increasingly inviting. "Damn keys!"  
  
"Maybe you're afraid." whispered a voice from behind Misao. Stunned she spun around to find Karou, whom she hadn't seen since high school graduation. For it being nearly midnight she seemed eerily chipper, her ever present smile hadn't faulted due to the late hour.  
  
"Karou! When did you get here?!" Misao couldn't believe her eyes, if ever she needed a friend to converse and compare thoughts with it was now. The events of the past few weeks replayed in her mind like images from an 8 mm film reel, she definitely needed a sane mind to make sense of it all.  
  
"A few hours ago but you weren't here so I went down the street to get some coffee; haven't been able to stay off the stuff since I started college." she laughed as she pulled out a cup she kept in reserves to ensure she got the necessary caffeine kick. Three years of pulling all nighters and the consumption of gallons of coffee hasn't shown itself one bit on Karou's smooth and fair face; always something Misao was, to say the least, jealous of. Karou had always had a more feminine overtone to her aura, where as Misao was always "just one of the guys."  
  
"I'm so glad you're here. I have so much to tell you!" Returning to her quest for her keys, she gave a disgruntled growl as if to frighten the mischievous keys into her hands. "A HA! Success." With that she promptly unlocked the door and opened it allowing Karou to see all. "Welcome to my humble abode." bowing in mock respect, she waited for her friend to enter.   
  
"I wouldn't have expected anything less from you Misao." Commented Karou laughingly as she slowly stepped inside taking everything in, especially the grey carpeted floor littered with boxes and shoes. The second hand couch complete with an old blanket and pillow for late night television fests.   
  
Shutting and locking all three deadbolts, she turned to Karou, "What is that supposed to mean?" slightly offended, Misao attempted to pick up dishes left near the couch from last night's dinner.   
  
"Nothing." chuckled Karou as she found Misao's actions futile, she'd already seen the damage of college life in Misao's apartment. Folding the blanket that sprawled on the couch, Karou sat down and admired the art gracing the walls. For having an apartment in such a condition finding replicas of European art was highly unexpected. The picture of Eros and Pysche particularly intrigued her. "Misao, what rumor is driving you so crazy?"   
  
"Well, its complicated. There is this guy named Aoshi, and well there's this....." Misao was cut short by Karou's look of recognition.   
  
"Aoshi Shinomari?" Misao dropped the black tennis shoe she held in her hand, apparently giving up all attempts to further clean her apartment she took a seat next to her friend on the couch that often doubled as a bed. Sinking in she gave Karou a look that demanded an explanation.   
  
"How do you know his last name?" Leaning in close so as not to miss a single breath.  
  
"I chatted with a man named Aoshi Shinomari while I was at the coffee shop. He complained that his usual restaurant, Burger World, had already closed for the night. I asked him if he had ever met a girl with long black hair there. Instantly he said yes."   
  
"You asked him about me?! Karou how could you?" Retrieving some distance Misao had stolen, Karou merely stared back utterly perplexed.   
  
"Why shouldn't I?" It was then that Karou took note of Misao's Burger World uniform with spots of grease and her braided hair that by now was littered with loose strands.   
  
A look of fear was plastered on Misao's face with the realization that she had almost come face to face with the very man she's been trying desperately to avoid. Karou didn't understand the reason for the expression but it was impossible to miss.   
  
"Misao? Is everything al.." Concern filling every intonation of her voice didn't deter Misao one second as she ferverrently cut in leaving Karou no room to argue.  
  
"Karou, he's not what you think. He's....he's....a killer." However, her last few words were mentioned barely above a whisper.  
  
"What?!" Not the man Karou had met, not possible. "Where did you hear such none sense?"  
  
"He killed my manager's brother, his best friend." She stared into Karou's eyes for any sign of a reaction, however all she found of was laughter. "Why would she lie about something so serious? Karou if you could've seen the anguish in her eyes you wouldn't be laughing."  
  
"I'm sorry Misao but I just find it hard to believe that a man like Aoshi, the man that smiled at the mere mention of your name, could be a killer." Taking a drink of her coffee, she calmed down and looked at Misao with urgency and seriousness not commonly found. "Have you asked him?"  
  
"What?! No! What am I supposed to say? Hi sorry I've been avoiding you, I heard you were a murderer; any truth to that?" Misao's eyes quickly darted throughout the room, anything to avoid Karou's mocking gaze; her eyes finally stopped on the familiar picture of the young Pysche holding a candle over the sleeping god Eros.  
  
"Nothing, get to know him. See if the man you meet is truly a killer." Satisfied with sounding like a wise sensei instructing her young student, Karou took another sip of coffee.   
  
"Karou? I've never met a killer, what would I compare him to?" Damn her valid questions thought the now frustrated Kaoru, looking around for inspiration.  
  
"Misao, you know the legend of Eros and Pysche. She wasn't allowed to see Eros for mortals aren't allowed to see gods, she merely had to trust that it was indeed Eros. However, Pysche's sisters convinced her it was a mere mortal taking advantage of her; consumed with doubt Pysche held a candle to Eros' sleeping form. As punishment for not TRUSTING, Eros left Pysche forever. In short Misao, you've got to trust your instincts, trust that they would not lead you to a killer."  
  
"But what about Miss Leiko? Who killed her brother then?" Karou couldn't, nor did she try to, deny the fact that this woman's brother is dead and presently blames Aoshi.  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Misao, although not fully satisfied, felt immensely relieved. Karou always had a way of putting things into perspective for her. With new found determination to prove Leiko wrong, Misao remembered that she hadn't talked to Karou in months.  
  
"Karou, weren't you seeing a guy last time we talked?" giving Karou a sly look letting her know that she had to tell Misao everything. Karou gave in with a sigh, college may have ravaged her apartment but nothing would deter her friend's unquenchable thirst for gossip.  
  
"Uh....yea. We're still together and he's such a great guy, but I'm not sure anymore; he's changed." The look of sadness in Karou's stare pained Misao, the hell she'd sit ideally by and watch some jerk hurt her friend.   
  
"Honestly Karou, how is you can come up with a million solutions to my problems, but speak of Kevin"  
  
"Kenshin"  
  
"Fine, Kenshin, and you clam up!" The once caffeine confident Karou was now slouching back into the couch, as if hoping it would swallow her.  
  
"He's still Kenshin, but sometimes he becomes someone completely different, someone dark." Concentrating on the now forgotten tennis shoe; Karou spoke softly and cautiously, as if each word could condemn Kenshin.   
  
"What do you mean dark?" Misao had long since stood up, she was now leaning over Karou demanding answers, demanding explanations, demanding this Kenshin to treat Karou right.  
  
"Its hard to explain; I think it has something to do with his past." Shifting still further back into the couch at Misao's unnerving closeness.  
  
"Past?"  
  
"He was in the hospital for nearly a year before I met him." Hoping Misao would be satisfied with that, Karou finally looked up from the shoe to Misao, her green eyes were unrelenting. Sighing she decided she had no choice, she was going to have to tell Misao everything. "Hospital for the criminally insane."  
  
*********  
  
Running, endless running; through forests, edging dangerously close to cliffs that seemingly fell into eternity. "Murai! No! Wait don't go!" Why was his best friend leaving him? Where was he going? Fear and panic overtook Aoshi's body, only gravel, pine trees, and mysterious scrapes were there to console him. Utterly alone, no one for an explanation, no one for comfort, just himself and a friend who isn't as he appears. "Wait Murai! What's happening? STOP!"   
  
Waking long before the sun now seemed almost customary for Aoshi; for years now deep and restful slumber eluded him. He had never able to finish that dream, never able to understand its meaning. Slowly adjusting to the darkness of his room, the troubled man casually glanced at the red light emanating from the clock that read 4:17 AM. Pushing back the blanket, Aoshi promptly folded up his traditional japanese futon; something he'd become accustomed to during his days of training. His master insisted the luxuries of modern society merely hindered the fighting spirit buried within.   
  
His bare feet lightly hitting the hard wood floor was the only audiable sound in the vacant house. It was hard for Aoshi to remember a time when he hadn't lived on his own. Having never really gotten along with his parents Aoshi moved out as soon as legally possible, a move which both sides found equally suitable. Preferring to be a quiet man of thought and purposeful action than adopting the devil may care attitude donned by most people his age; Aoshi found few companions, none of which he felt particularly close to. His thoughts often seemed to drift back to the exuberant girl, the first person in ages that he'd felt a real connection to. This wasn't like him, enthralled with some girl he'd just met, but she's different, she's not like the others. He felt the battle within himself beginning to consume his thoughts again; however, he had to admit it was nice to think of something other than Murai.   
  
What if she knows? What if she heard? What if she finds out? All the insecurities he withheld so well spewed forth in his mind in a deluge of emotion. What did he care? She's just some college girl. But she gave me a reason to smile. Aoshi needed a release, he had only one option, meditate. Donning a black gi he purposefully walked to the spacious living room, pushed aside the brown leather sofa, moving the table big enough for six to the corner and set the matching leather chair near the rarely used fireplace. It was then he commenced his morning ritual; training had begun. Yet, Misao remained.  
  
Glistening with sweat, Aoshi stopped practicing to watch the sun slowly rise into the morning sky. He always loved this time of day, everything was fresh, untouched. Only among the first rays of sunlight was Aoshi able to think, think of horrid things, of wondrous things, of her. Allowing himself to sit, he knew he could never reveal his true feelings, his instant attraction, his sense of freedom she gave him; not to his self and not to her. Turning from the new sun and vibrant orange clouds, Aoshi denied himself the joy of thinking of things he could never have and the pain of acknowledging it all; his thoughts returned to those monotonous matters of no real importance.   
  
After routinely showering, shaving, and dressing, Aoshi routinely ate a simple breakfast; all was routine until he arrived at the university. All was monotonous until he saw her, saw Misao, saw her look of fear when their eyes met, saw her running away for the second time.  
  
*****  
  
It had been weeks since Karou decided to "drop by" and Misao still couldn't face Aoshi. Nothing had changed except every free thought was captured by Aoshi, she had to face him, not yet, I can't face him yet was the best she could tell herself. She longed for his presence, killer or not, in the end it didn't matter; so what is holding me back?   
  
Desperately trying to keep her mutinous papers and books within the grasp of her arms, Misao found it futile to be mentally and physically overburdened and collapsed on the ground. Demanding order from her papers and expecting no such thing from her mind, she looked up seeing that the blue sky of earlier was slowly being consumed by grey clouds that threatened rain any moment. "Of course."   
  
Looking for the nearest shelter she found the coffee shop Karou spoke of earlier, it should be quiet there surmised the frazzled college student. No sooner had she decided than it started to rain, then pour.  
  
Muttering curses as she attempted to gather her papers and overpriced text books, Misao rushed across the street to the rundown coffee shop. She recoiled a bit as she opened the door and was overcome with the smell of coffee; the most loathed bean in the world she grumbled. Scanning the small caf, for a table, she found it surprisingly full of students, business men, and Aoshi. Had the man dressed in black, which suited him nicely she mused, looked up to see the scared little girl standing in the door way he would have not believed it was the same Misao he met a month ago. Misao looked like a lost twelve year old, not the college freshman in search of refuge from the rain.   
  
You're just gonna have to trust you instincts, trust that they would not lead you to a killer. Damn Karou and her trust speech. Misao knew what she had to do but never knew how; now presented with the opportunity she knew. Regaining the look of her age, she confidently wobbled over to where Aoshi was sitting alone with his newspaper.   
  
"Hey, mind if I sit here?"  
  
Aoshi slowly looked up from his article, instantly recognizing the voice, his piercing blue eyes staring at her void of emotion. Suddenly, a small smile crept onto his face, she was soaked. "Sure." 


	3. Murai

AN: Alright well, since I've never been prone to proper spelling it appears I've been spelling Aoshi's last name wrong. Thanks (you know who you are) for enlightening me! Thusly I had to remove my story and repost it; as a sad repercussion of that I lost all of my reviews. :( For those who have reviewed in the past I beg that you go back and review again, please. However, now all the kinks should be delt with. Such as the first chapter, there was no hope for that one. So in an attempt to appease my reader I've released the third installment rather quickly. So enjoy the correct spelling of Shinomori and please be generous with the reviews. But, above all else ENJOY!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Misao could not believe her eyes, here she was talking to Aoshi Shinomori; talking to the man that had been driving her into the second ring of hell for weeks. Setting her papers down on the worn, square wooden table, she pulled back the hair clinging to her face; it was then she remembered she had a run in with a mischievous rain storm.   
  
Aoshi couldn't remember the last time his heart had felt so light, here she was, asking if SHE could sit next to him. Her spirit overtook the provincial shop as soon as she opened the door; he didn't have to look up to know it was her. It was one of things he loved most about her, she was unmistakable, she was his. She'd never know what hit her, he mused to himself.  
  
"Just get out of class?" mentioning towards the soggy papers that now littered the table and marked her path to his table along the shop's dirty floor.  
  
"Yea." was the best she could muster, she simply looked saddened at her paper trail. Since when had she been at a loss for words? What happened to her new found confidence?! Damn it!  
  
"Where did you come from?" Lowering his face in an attempt to commandeer her gaze from the soaked books.   
  
"Kyoto." Short, one word. What the hell is wrong with me?! I haven't acted this way since ........ Murai.   
  
This is an odd change of pace, someone is usually having to pump me for words, not the other way around, questioned Aoshi as he allowed himself to relax a bit and lean back in his chair worn to match the table now covered with papers carelessly strewn about.  
  
"WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" perked Misao, rising from her chair and her bout of self-consciousness. Her inner turmoil had to cease now! The volume of such a beign question stirred Aoshi from his thoughts.  
  
"Must be a lover's tryst." whispered one student to the waitress as he ordered a double latt‚ with extra foam.  
  
I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Grumbled Misao as she glared at the finicky student now scrounging for change to pay for his overpriced coffee.  
  
Releasing a smile only visible through his eyes, how is it this girl is able to bring a smile to my soul each time we meet? Aoshi was somehow able to retain a stoic face that revealed nothing, but Misao never missed an emotion; even his lack of emotion was an emotion and Misao knew it. "Many places." he answered solemnly, raising his paper to avoid her eyes for there she was naked, open for all the world to see, for all the world to judge.  
  
This can't possibly be the man Ms. Leiko deems him to be. Easing herself down into her chair, Misao attempted to avoid the numerous stares received due to her sudden outburst. However, it was Aoshi's she wanted most and Aoshi's the only one she was denied.  
  
"Ahem." Composure now regained she continued in the best civilized voice she could muster. "So you travel? How exciting! And now you're a student?" Her green eyes wide with anticipation of his answers; she was practically on the edge of her seat.  
  
"Yes, I've traveled many places; mostly business. No I'm not a student, I'm a teacher, of sorts." It was then he took note of the smeared information on her papers and the titles on her books. Biology 1710, a class strictly for science majors; a difficult major. She is more than mere bubbly ambition, she's a solidified scholar.   
  
"What classes do you teach?!" Practically crawling over the table; it wasn't the question but the man that had captured her interest so blindly. Unfortunately, in Misao's venture across the table in pursuit of knowledge she knocked over his cup of black coffee. The black liquid slid over the table, escaping onto the floor or captured within Misao's surprisingly absorbent papers. The rest fell ever so perfectly into the teacher's lap; recoiling slightly from the heat of the coffee, Aoshi slowly slid his chair away from the threatening table and its out of control liquid. Misao was so horrified at what she had done, she grabbed the towel hanging from a nearby waiter and ran to Aoshi.   
  
He saw her coming and it wasn't the thought of what she'd do that surprised him, it was the worry that filled her eyes. She wasn't scared; she was worried. She didn't care what the repercussions might be for injuring, even if slightly, Aoshi; she didn't care at all. This girl is....  
  
"I am so sorry." each word crisp and full of remorse coupled with a shiver, brought on by her wet clothes and the shop's ceiling fans. A girl like this should never have to feel remorse; never have to feel pain, never have to know sorrow. She'll never know, I'll never tell her, she'll know nothing of Murai.  
  
Absolute in his decision, Aoshi grasped Misao's hands now soaked with coffee. The look of surprise and hidden glee was all he'd imagined it to be. "Please don't." Taking the towel from Misao's now limp hands, he placed it on the table over running with coffee. Removing his jet black jacket, Misao could scarcely believe her eyes as Aoshi placed it around her shoulders. His musky scent soon overtook her senses, Misao felt as if she was falling into an abyss of Aoshi. His scent was suttle, infact until now she hadn't taken notice of it. It lulled her, comforted her, surrounded her in an envelope of safety.  
  
"Misao?" By now Aoshi's voice seemed distant and faint; like a whisper tickling her ears. The stress of college, work and Aoshi washed over her like a wave in passing. Wrapped in Aoshi's coat, surrounded by warmth, Misao was helpless against the sleep pulsating throughout her weathered body.  
  
She's asleep. Even the methodical Aoshi, seemingly always one step ahead of life, was taken by surprise. She was once so full of life and vitality, yet now she's a sleeping form much like that of a child wrapped in a mother's arms.   
  
******  
  
"Misao, you don't understand. I have to do this, I owe it to him." sheer determination oozing from every word and gesture given. A boy, no now he was a man and he was hell bent on proving it.   
  
"Who?! Who do you owe this to? Where are you going?!" He meant too much for Misao to let him leave without a fight or at the very least an explanation.   
  
Hiding his eyes behind his black hair, Misao could see him bunching his hands into fists. "I have to go to Edo!" Suddenly glaring with pride and determination; his eyes always had a way of explaining where words failed. Those eyes, Murai's amazing brown eyes; always soft, never filled with hate or anger. Even now, as unrelenting as they were, Misao saw softness.  
  
"Why do you insist on calling it that?! Say Tokyo!" She never understood why he spoke of Tokyo as if he were in the 1700's. He was proud of his japanese heritage, there was no doubt about that; everything about him oozed japanese pride. His short black hair, deep brown eyes, youthful appearance, all japanese characteristics he displayed with honor.   
  
"My master." With that Murai turned to leave; he couldn't take Misao's saddening gaze. Sitting to put on his shoes, he turned around once more and saw her; saw her anger.  
  
"Why are you so eager to leave me? Am I nothing to you? Just a shadow in comparison to your `master'?!" Grabbing his wrist; Misao's whole body was pleading with him to stay even for one more night. Long enough for her to revel in his presence a little longer.   
  
"Misao." uttered barely above a whisper but enough for Misao; she knew she had won the battle but lost the war. Taking the hand she had used to make him stay, Murai pulled her into his chest, she could indulged in his musky scent; there they embraced, there Misao cried.  
  
"Please don't cry Misao, not because of me and not for me."  
  
Misao looked up, eyes glistening with unspilled tears; at him looking down at her with eyes so tender and a smile so sincere, there she saw it. In his eyes she saw what she'd been looking for; she saw Murai and his love for her. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Misao cried; not for Murai but for love, the happiness of finally knowing it and the sadness of knowing it will never come to be.   
  
"M-Murai, I....I'm sorry" was all she was able to whimper before being cut off by his lips brushing against hers.  
  
"Don't be. Never apologize Misao." Murai continued his dissent and overtook Misao's lips; they were his for the taking and he conquered. Her escaped moans merely pushed him further; he had never tasted lips so sweet or felt so much from one kiss. He slowly parted her lips with his tongue, as if asking permission. Misao didn't have to say anything for him to know her answer; he continued his probing kiss. Kissing her as if he had to fit years into one moment, yet his rhythmic kiss was interrupted when he realized she was kissing him back; Misao never was one to sit ideally by and let someone else have all the fun. His calloused hands lightly caressed her face; holding her to him a little longer.   
  
Finally breaking the kiss, Murai could see where Misao's tears had caused streaks along her face, still wet from fresh tears. Wiping them away with his thumb, Murai stood to leave. Grabbing his wrist again, Misao pulled him back down causing the proud japanese to fall with a thud.   
  
"No! Not yet." Her unrelenting nature overpowered his determination. Still he tried; he turned to face the door, escaping her glare. Misao was not letting him go; not like this. Showing a forcefulness she usually kept at a minimum around Murai; she grabbed his face, demanding he look at her. "Look at me and say good-bye; don't just leave, men don't just leave!"   
  
His smile caught Misao off guard, instantly she softened, allowing her hands to fall to her side. It was her vitality and spontaneity he'd always loved most about her. She was right; he couldn't just leave, a farewell was indeed necessary; she just means too much. Murai took Misao in a manner she had never felt before; he stole a kiss. He threw his body onto hers, causing her to fall on her back trapped between the floor and her love.   
  
******  
  
Misao awake startled, she was immersed in unknown surroundings. It was then she took notice of the brown leather couch she was laying on and the coat that had so efficiently lulled her to sleep; Aoshi's coat. It had been so long since she dreamed of Murai, yet never with such vivid sight and since when had she been able to smell him in her dreams?  
  
"Evening." Murai?! A voice from behind, the leather squeaked as she turned to face the voice. Of course it couldn't be Murai, she hadn't seen Murai in years. Misao found herself facing the other subject of many sleepless nights, Aoshi.   
  
"Where am I?" running her fingers through her hair, her groggy voice startled even her.   
  
"My house." monotone a if it were an everyday occurrence, Aoshi set down a mug that occupied his hands on a small table beside the couch. "You passed out from exhaustion at the coffee shop. I brought you here." It was then that Misao really took notice of her surroundings. Everything was meticulous and clean; there wasn't a spec of clutter, no random dish, no evidence that anyone lived there. There was a fire place with logs but looked as if it had never been used. The walls were stark, the floors were wooden and cold to the touch. He certainly isn't one to reveal anything about himself; I always liked a challenge, she mused.   
  
"Do you always bring helpless college girls to your house?" her raised eyebrow and sarcastic tone was unmistakable; both of which caught Aoshi's usually centered attention. Even in a house as void of life as this she fills it with laughter, he couldn't understand how this girl lives each day with such energy; doesn't she get tired?  
  
"Only when they make a scene at a local shop first; got to make sure they are worth bringing home. Don't want to bring home some crazy." She smiled; Aoshi was actually making jokes. She hadn't heard him do this since the first time they met; he was so stoic and icy in the coffee shop. Eyeing her, he picked up the mug and placed it out of her reach, then smiled at her `hurt' expression. "Just to be on the safe side."  
  
"Hey now, I'm the one in a strange man's house. I'm a vulnerable college girl you know." Aoshi couldn't hold back, he let out a soft laugh at her being vulnerable; she was much too strong. Misao was much more than some college girl; she was everything Aoshi wasn't.   
  
"How the hell can you afford a place like this on a teacher's salary?!" Every direction Misao turned there was a hall that seemed to stretch into eternity. It certainly was a change from her one bedroom apartment with two doors, the front door and one for the bathroom, and barely enough room for her secondhand couch; that tiny rabbit hutch was nearly breaking her. "Let me guess you're an assassin on your days off."she joked, yet when Aoshi didn't smile in return Misao's heart sank. Not knowing what to say she sat and waited for a response, an emotion, anything. After what seemed like an eon, Misao still received nothing; she fell back into the couch in frustration. It was then she rediscovered Aoshi's coat; his smell permeated the coat but nothing else. Not the couch she slept on, not the house she sat in, nothing smelled like Aoshi; it was as if he himself didn't live there. It felt as if his house was merely a place to sleep and eat; a place to survive not live.  
  
"Here, thanks." Outstretching her hand to hand him the coat that brought Murai to her, she rose and scanned the area for the door. Taking the coat in silence, Aoshi stood to meet her; his gaze seemed lost. "Sorry to be a disturbance." Misao couldn't hide the hurt in her voice; she didn't know what she had done but she knew she had blown what is probably her only chance with Aoshi Shinomori.  
  
"Please don't go." His stare was now focused completely on her; his eyes piercing her soul. He had never looked at her this way, Misao could feel her insides bubble over. She froze, his eyes commanded her attention and she obliged. "You're everything but a disturbance to me." Since when had he been so open with his feelings?!   
  
Misao could barely believe what he was saying; is he implying he has feelings for me?! I don't understand; first he's just some guy, then he's ice, but now, now its as if he's being Aoshi. Misao never broke away from his stare, she refused to blink for fear it would all disappear and she would wake up on the couch in her tiny apartment.  
  
  
  
"Aoshi, I don't understand why you are the way you are. I don't understand why you hold people at such a distance or why you insist on hiding your emotions behind a wall." His eyes widened with each word; how was she able to see through him so easily? His barrier had done nothing to deter her; his tactics to keep people at bay merely drew her in.   
  
"However," his thoughts instantly stopped and he held his breath. "I don't need to know. I just need to be here, with you." Misao lowered her head in a vain attempt to hide the blush now overtaking her fair skin. Exhaling all at once, a weight had been lifted; she wasn't going to press the issue. However, Aoshi knew that now she deserved to know, she deserved to know why.  
  
"Misao." Aoshi could scarcely believe his luck; here was this amazing girl that exuded life and energy. She was all he could never be, all he longed to be; and she was in his house telling him she didn't need explanations; just his presence. Words failed; all he could do was look at her. His initial shock had now shifted to soft admiration; Aoshi's wall had begun to fall.  
  
"Aoshi, I" she was couldn't finish; there was no need. Water was pooling in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Why am I being so emotional? There is just something about him, I feel like I've broken through his barrier, like I'm seeing the real Aoshi. Misao couldn't comprehend why she was so glad, but the fact remained that it didn't matter; she was free, he had taken away all her woes. His presence was comforting, like she'd met him before. It didn't matter that she barely knew the guy; Aoshi was no longer a mystery, he was hers.   
  
"Please stay." the sincerity in his voice was nothing compared to the pleading in his eyes. Misao couldn't leave if she had wanted; there was no denying those eyes. Aoshi couldn't believe his boldness; he never asked people to stay, he preferred solitude to company. However, he felt that if he let her walk out of his door she'd never come back; she'd disappear and he'd wake up alone.   
  
"Ok Aoshi, I'll stay with you." Her smile lit up the dim room; Aoshi's heart was flying. She was going to stay; she didn't care about his past; she wants to be here. His soft eyes now bore holes into Misao; her face was burning; however her attempts to hide it merely placed a smile on the stoic face.   
  
"Umm....could you point me to the bathroom?" her embarrassment at the question made Aoshi desire her even more. When he pointed towards a hall to her left, she nodded and started to make her way down the endless hall. She heard the squeak of leather as Aoshi sat down, he was watching her walk and she knew it.   
  
After walking past several doors she came upon one cracked open. Where the hell are the lights, she grumbled. Fumbling along the wall, Misao felt for a light switch. Success; after her eyes adjusted to the blinding light she realized the bathroom was just as meticulous as the rest of the house; cold tile floors, marble counter, oversized mirror and wood cabinets beneath the sink. Looking into the mirror she saw that her hair was a mess; from the rain and sleep there was no hope for her braid. Unraveling her hair, Misao let her black locks fall to her the small of her back. Of course there wasn't a brush just laying around, that would be convenient; pulling open a drawer she found a brush placed next to a comb. Picking up the brush she saw something underneath that appeared to be a picture. Not willing to pass up the chance of possibly seeing a member of his family, Misao carefully pulled the picture out of drawer.   
  
Aoshi, sitting on the couch, merely stared down the hall Misao had disappeared down. His mind was racing; what was he doing? What had she done to him? Who was this girl? Suddenly, he saw her figure returning from the darkness. She was bouncing or even smiling; she was walking slow as if in a zombie like state; she was holding something in her hand. As she entered the light. Aoshi could see her eyes were wide, as if she'd seen a ghost.   
  
"M-Murai." 


	4. Haunted

A/N: I'm sorry to have you all guessing who this mysterious Murai guy is, rest assured I have expanded on him, mainly his relationship to Aoshi and Misao. Also I have expanded on a minor pairing that was blip in chapter 2. I realized that I have my characters crying a lot, think nothing of it, I like to think its because my story is heart wrenching and full of emotion but I also like to fantasize. Please review, let me hear your thoughts. If you deem my fic flame-worthy I merely ask that you back up your flame with a reason. Read, review, but above all else ENJOY!!!  
  
Chapter 4: Haunted  
  
"Why do you have this?" Before Misao could show Aoshi the picture; he had identified its smiling subject. Her voice was barely above a whisper; she couldn't grasp conviction behind her words. How could she? She didn't understand; how did this college teacher get a picture of her Murai?  
  
"Misao; do you know who that is?!" Oblivious to her internal anguish; Aoshi was floored, she knows Murai? She couldn't be. This can't the girl he left behind; the girl that always brought a smile to his face; the girl who awaited his return. Aoshi couldn't speak; he was barely able to register Misao's tears as she stared at the picture.  
  
"WHY DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE OF NARU MURAI?!" She didn't try to hide any one of the million emotions rising up within her. This man in front of her knew of Murai; he knew her love; perhaps he knows what happened to him. Any formalities that remained between them were now gone; she no longer felt the need nor the desire to restrain herself or her words. Unsplit tears were now flowing freely down her face; their heat lost to her, she was burning with anger; anger at this man that now felt like a stranger and anger at Murai for leaving her so unresolved.  
  
Her tears shone in the moonlight entering through the floor to ceiling windows; her eyes blazed with inner turmoil. Misao remained in the shadows but Aoshi didn't have to see her to know she was crumbling inside; she had to know what happened, if he with held it now her soul would die and the exuberance he had loved so much about her would fade away. "Misao, I have a picture of Murai because he was once my apprentice."  
  
Misao's breath caught in her throat; this is the master Murai spoke so highly of, this is the man that took him away and never gave him back! Unable to think, unable to rationalize, Misao flew toward Aoshi with hatred in her eyes, anger pulsating throughout her body, tears falling carelessly to the floor and visions of a smiling Murai in her mind. "How could you take him away from me?!"  
  
Her question hurt more than the physical pain of her powerful punch; she hadn't held back, she wanted to hurt him. Misao wanted Aoshi to feel the pain she felt; suffer as she suffers. Aoshi had no words to offer; there was nothing he could say to make it right, nothing to ease her pain. He had tried so hard in the years since Murai to forget him, come to terms with him, tried so hard to forgive himself; now here was this girl breaking it all down, forcing a flood of forgotten memories to pour into his mind. "Take him away from you? What are you talking about?"  
  
"He left me to go train; with you!" Her legs finally gave way, she collapsed to the floor in desperation; sobs eating her words. "H- He was supposed to return in April; h-he promised he'd return with the ch-cherry blossoms." Only when she looked up in an attempt at composure she took note of Aoshi's sudden closeness; he must have tried to catch me when I fell. Misao looked at him; this man in front of her, his icy blue eyes, lit by the moon, were melting.  
  
"Murai was my apprentice but he was also my best friend." Before he could finish his thought Misao was overtaken as Ms. Leiko's words came rushing into his head, 'he killed my brother, his best friend.' It was true that Misao remembered she never actually meeting Murai's family; in fact he barely spoke of them. He mentioned that he had a sister but never spoke her name. Murai was a man who would rather relish in another's happy family than dwell in his own broken one. All Misao knew was that when Murai graduated high school, which his parents didn't attend, he moved away to go to college and 'never looked back.' The silence in the room was deafening, Aoshi had ceased his attempt at an explanation when he saw Misao's eyes wide in remembrance. It was the silence that brought Misao back to Aoshi's house and the situation before her.  
  
"Please don't. Don't tell me how you killed him." She refused to look into his eyes for she'd surely fall in. They were focused and concentrated; something Misao wasn't ready nor willing to confront, not yet. She stared at the wood floors, clean and polished, she could see where stray tears had beaded from the wax.  
  
"Killed him? So you think I am a murdrer too." Any hope Aoshi had that this girl would be different was dashed, she was just like all the others; she had condemned me long before today. Any expression that might have revealed his thoughts or feelings was now gone, his mask of indifference had returned. He refused to let her see him die inside; she would never know, he would never heal.  
  
There was nothing she could say; Misao had questioned his innocence time and time again. She went as far as convincing herself that Ms. Leiko had it all wrong; yet in the end she had found him guilty, no trial, no defense, to her he was guilty. She died once long ago, waiting for Murai to return; any life left in her was fading fast. What would Murai think if he could see me now? Here I am with the master he loved so much, even more than that here I am with a chance of happiness and I've condemned Aoshi, branded him a killer.  
  
Aoshi stood, leaving Misao's fallen form to lay on the ground soiled with tears. Turning to face the window he realized that the once silver moonlight was now replaced with the intense orange rays of dawn. Unable to stand, unable to speak Misao merely stared at the back of Aoshi; his black hair shone in the sun's early light, she instantly thought of Murai. "Where is Murai?"  
  
Aoshi's eyes left the comfort of dawn and focused on a tree whose leaves seemed to flame in the light. "I'm not sure." His words were cold, monotone, and completely devoid of emotion. Misao couldn't tell if he was angry at her for calling him a killer or melancholy because of Murai; she felt nothing, she had become numb to the world, numb to Murai and dead to Aoshi.  
  
Aoshi turned to face this insolent girl, the girl who offered him the world only to rip it away once he had accepted. His eyes bore into her slumped form like drills, unforgiving and unrelenting. He merely waited for her to face him, waited for her to stand and leave.  
  
"Murai, why did you have to do this?" Misao's muffled sobs were barely audible, Aoshi's stone gaze faltered. Her pain was just too real for him to merely ignore it, it had been years after the fact that Murai was gone but time had done nothing to heal him, nothing to heal Misao. "Why couldn't you just come back to me?" Misao's eyes hadn't left the floor, she was lost in the abyss of her sadness, the abyss of her longing for someone who wont return.  
  
"Misao, please..." Aoshi's gentle voice stirred her from her reverie; he was offering comfort, his wall had shattered, Misao saw something in him she hadn't seen in so long it hurt to acknowledge its existence. Her eyes so full of pain, so full of longing, so devoid of life; Aoshi refused to allow this happen. "don't, don't cry; not because of him and for him." Misao's sitting form had fallen, she couldn't take this, this emotional ride, it was too much. Her body had given in, it refused to hold her, it refused to take anymore. Those words, those were the words Murai had said before he left her; those words weren't even his, those were the words of his master. She rolled over to her back, focusing on the ceiling fan that turned endlessly, she found a smile had appeared upon her face. Misao had finally figured it all out, she finally realized what had drawn her to Aoshi. He was the part of Murai she had loved so much, he was the words that comforted her when Murai left, he was the proud japanese quirk of Murai that she had found so endearing, he was the man who molded Murai. She had finally found him after all these years, she finally found Murai.  
  
The kendo master couldn't believe his eyes, here was this girl so completely torn, fallen to the floor, looking up in a fit of desperation and suddenly she was smiling. At one time Aoshi had everything figured out, life held no more surprises; pitfalls maybe but held little in the way of uncertainties. Yet, Misao had crashed it all, she, in one night, was able to breath new life into Aoshi; she didn't adhere to his plan, she proved there was still mystery and beauty in this world. He could do little but stand by in amazement and watch her smile grow, watch her eyes soften, watch her tears dry.  
  
Turning to face the teacher, Misao's eyes softened as her life slowly seeped back into her. "I've finally found you." Misao's gaze was focused solely upon Aoshi, he couldn't have turned away if he had wanted. Found me? What is she talking about? "I've finally found you Aoshi." She somehow found the strength to stand, determination resonated from her frail body. Aoshi, unable to move, remained by the window as dawn's light cascaded over him. The halo of light that surrounded his dumbfounded shape simply added to Misao's smile. Her approaching form merely reaffirmed that Aoshi had it all wrong, the ever changing nature of life adheres to no plan. Her unfaltering gaze pierced Aoshi, she commanded he look at her, she commanded he show his emotions. Finally closing the distance between them, Misao held out her hand to his face, caressing it, smoothing over his tattering emotions. "I've finally you in Murai, you were there all along."  
  
For the first time Aoshi saw tears of joy, they glistened in the early morning's light. She was no longer forlorn for a love lost, she was rejoicing for a love found. Aoshi could scarcely believe it when he rose up onto her toes to kiss him. His kisses felt like home, they were soft and gentle, not unlike Murai's but Aoshi's tender touch was the finished product, the masterpiece merely started with Murai. Aoshi's kiss was that of love, that of amazement, that of true reverence.  
  
His insides were on fire, he felt a burning within rise up; this girl had ignited his emotions. Aoshi's icy exterior had melted the moment his lips were taken by hers; his inner turmoil had ceased to rage, his jagged thoughts were smoothed over by her soft touch. Misao had saved him from drowning in his own self loathing, he owed her his life, he owed her the truth. Not yet, he couldn't ruin this perfect moment; looking down to revel in the presence of his savior he was swept away by an ocean of green as her moistened eyes gazed up lovingly at him. Her smile left words unnecessary. Aoshi allowed himself a rarity, a genuine smile; she always did have a way of giving him adequate reasons to smile. A beautiful release, something to make it all ok. He would tell her of Murai, but not now.  
  
*******  
  
"Kenshin!? Why are you acting like this? I don't understand?" Karou's fear was evident in her eyes and saturated her words. The man she had come to love was now someone completely different, he wasn't kind or gentle, he was rough and authoritative. "Hitokiri?" Nothing, no hint this man recognized this name either.  
  
He had entered her room, normally a place he wasn't bold enough to even request entry, yet tonight he took it. He needed no permission for his desires. He gave his victim no answer or explanation for his probing actions. He held back nothing, he let his actions do all the talking he felt was necessary. Climbing on top of her, he demanded she give in to his whim, holding her wrists down with his unrelenting hands. She had denied him too long, her games were tiresome. "I don't want it to be like this!" Her screams fell on deaf ears. Seeing no sign of hesitation, Karou, in a last ditch effort to retain her innocence, kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could. She felt nothing of his slap to her face, as he lay gasping for breath she ran.  
  
Tears spilling unchecked from her eyes she tried to convince herself that wasn't Kenshin who held no regard for her wishes, that couldn't have been Kenshin who saw her merely as a place to fulfil his desires. "It wasn't always like this!" screaming sobs did little to comfort her. Karou ran for what seemed like miles, she stopped only when she came upon a small lake, the place Kenshin had first declared his love for her.  
  
She looked onto the lake, an abyss of black liquid that seemed to swallow the light from the night's stars. Karou stood in remembrance:  
  
~~~~~ "Karou-dono? I have something I must apologize for." Deep violet eyes, peered into her soul as Karou looked at him. Kenshin's fiery hair was ablaze in dusk's light, Karou always loved his hair; she loved how it fell to his shoulders (deciding to grow it out), she loved his futile attempts to tame his hair with a minuscule piece of fabric.  
  
"Hmm? Apologize for what?" Turning from the placid lake to face the man she had come to love, the man she had unofficially called her own. Here was this perfect man sitting next to her, handsome, strong, and most of all not without faults. It was his faults that assured Karou that was indeed real, his faults allowed him to be human, to be hers.  
  
"There's something I should have told you long ago." A quizzical look was all the response Kenshin received. Her emotions were always so easy to read, she was an open book for him to read; all her faults and desires were out in the open, something Kenshin could never do. "When you first came to visit me in the hospital I fell in love with you." His attempts to hide his blush were in vain, it wasn't often that Kenshin spoke of his stint in the hospital, he hated to admit he was weak, hated to attempt he wasn't in control. "The first time I made you smile I realized I wanted to make you smile, always." His face ablaze, Kenshin's gaze was now concentrated solely on Karou. His eyes were intense, sincere, impossible to turn away from. His hand stealthily slid into hers, since when had Kenshin been this bold?! Karou's look of shock that eased into a smile merely affirmed his feelings for her, she would smile as long as he walked this earth.  
  
"Kenshin, I...." She didn't have to finish her sentence for him to know her feelings, the tinge in her checks, the smile on her face, the unspilt tears of joy cascading glistening in her eyes; words were nothing in comparison. That night they walked back to her apartment together, that night would forever been etched in Karou's memory.  
  
~~~  
  
Yet this wasn't the Kenshin of today, he changed. The love of her memories would never have touched her so ravenously, he would never had taken joy in her screams of terror. But why? What made him change so? It was a gradual process, he slowly started turning dark; while he was in the hospital he often demanded people call him by Hitokiri. He was dark then but this wasn't the same, he wasn't a Hitokiri, it was as if he was someone new. He felt nothing as I screamed his name, he didn't even twitch at the mention of Hitokiri; Kenshin had become someone new, someone darker, someone he couldn't control.  
  
"Karou-dono?" A soft voice called to her from behind, she didn't have to see his face to know who it was; no one else still bothered with honorifics. Refusing to face him, she vainly attempted to hold back her tears, his innocent voice was littered with pain; so he was aware of the things he had done.  
  
****** 


End file.
